Saugus speaker highlights dangers of youth vaping

Mike Gaffney saugus@wickedlocal.com @saugusnews

Wednesday

Nov 28, 2018 at 2:03 PMNov 28, 2018 at 2:03 PM

Businesses market vaping products to make them desirable to youths and downplay the health effects of using electronic cigarettes, a health professional cautioned a group of residents and educators who gathered to learn more about the danger vaping poses to school-age children.

Beth Williams-Breault, the prevention and education coordinator for Middlesex Partnerships for Youth, Inc., focused on vaping as the guest speaker for the Nov. 27 Saugus Wellness Committee forum at Belmonte Middle School.

Several residents brought their children to listen to Williams-Breault’s presentation on vaping.

Williams-Breault shared the statistic that 41.1 percent of Massachusetts high school students reported trying electronic vapor products. In the same survey 20.1 percent of high school students in the state indicated that they are currently using electronic vapor materials.

Electronic cigarettes, also known as vape pens, work by heating up “juice” to become vapor that is then inhaled and exhaled.

The problem with these battery-powered vape devices, Williams-Breault said, is they contain nicotine and dozens of other potentially harmful chemicals have been detected in the juice.

“Kids think it’s just flavored water but there’s a lot more in it – toxic chemicals,” Williams-Breault said. “We don’t want our kids starting on electronic cigarettes and ingesting all that nicotine and becoming addicted to it.”

Vaping has been shown to lower a user’s ability to fight infection, Williams-Breault said.

The chemicals in electronic cigarettes can also cause popcorn lung by forming scar tissue, Williams-Breault warned. Metal can wind up in the lungs and never leave the body, she noted.

Vape use has been linked to anxiety, depression and other mental health issues in those who use the products, Williams-Breault said.

Lithium battery vape devices have blown up and seriously injured individuals across the country, Williams-Breault added.

Electronic cigarettes were introduced a decade ago and quickly became very popular with youths. Vaping materials come in a wide variety of flavors such as bubble gum and chocolate chip cookie that are designed to attract young customers, Williams-Breault said.

Businesses also package vaping products to appeal to kids, Williams-Breault said. The packaging can look like superheroes or characters from major movie franchises.

“They are targeting kids because they want their money,” Williams-Breault said. “They don’t care what kids are inhaling in their lungs, which is toxic chemicals.”

Some vaping devices look like flash drives and produce a clear smoke that produces no scent, Williams-Breault said. Advances in vaping technology make it easier for youths to use the products in class without anyone noticing, she noted.

In September, the head of the Food and Drug Administration announced that youth vaping has hit epidemic proportions.

The FDA gave manufacturers of inhalable vapor products 60 days to produce plans outlining how they will prevent youths from using electronic cigarettes, Williams-Breault said.

These vape manufacturers are required to limit sales to minors or risk seeing their merchandise pulled from the market, Williams-Breault said.

Juul, a giant in the vaping industry, responded that the company will change the way electronic cigarettes are sold and marketed. Examples of Juul’s commitment, Williams-Breault said, include prohibiting retail stores from selling flavors that are popular among youths, shutting down social media accounts, prohibiting bulk buying and making flavored products available online through a website that verifies the age of users.

Claims from the vaping industry that their products are nicotine-free and safe simply aren’t true, Williams-Breault stressed.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. David DeRuosi Jr. said all school districts are struggling with youth vaping.

“It’s something we are trying hard as a district to corral,” DeRuosi said.

One parent in attendance expressed hope that students would get to see this presentation so they are aware of the dangers associated with vaping.

Students at Belmonte Middle School will attend a forum on vaping in the near future, DeRuosi said.

The public forum is a way to raise awareness for parents about vaping and the types of products that are out there, DeRuosi said.

Youths need to understand that electronic cigarettes are dangerous and not a healthy alternative to smoking as they have been marketed, Williams-Breault said.

“When kids start using them they get addicted easily, which is why we try to stop them from starting,” Williams-Breault said.